With 23K miles on my car, I just got my third set of tires. I ditched the runflats at 11K miles, gave the carcasses to a friend of mine for his MCS. Put on some super sticky Falken Azenis RT-615's with a UTOQ rating of only 160. Didn't expect them to last forever but at only about 11500 miles, they were toast. I've recently acquired another toy, a 2007 BMW MZ4 Coupe, so I won't be driving the JCW as much and wanted something that would last longer but still provide good grip. I settled on some Sumitomo HTR-ZII's from TireRack, only $70 a corner for 215/45/17's. Including shipping and mounting at my local shop, a whole new set of summer performance tires for less than $400. I had some Sumo's on a previous Audi, they're a great "second tier" brand that works fine but doesn't have the big marketing campaign to pay for. They have a new version HTR-ZIII's but continue to sell the previous generation until they're all gone I guess. I won't even bother with the runflat's performance because they suck. People that think they handle well just haven't been on better tires. Unless the idea of no spare is just too unbearable for you, I see no reason in having RF's on our cars. The Falken's were a bit stiffer in the sidewall but that seemed to be noticeable only in ride quality, not turn-in compared to the Sumo's. Obviously the stickiness is going to be less given the Sumo's higher UTOQ rating of 360, but if you've had different tires, that number doesn't always explain the differences between brands. I can't say with certainty how much grip I've given up until I hit the autocross again this spring, but for spirited street cornering, I feel like they haven't given up much at all. In conclusion, a great buy for someone who wants a good compromise. Not the absolute best summer performance tire by any means, but good feel that should last 15-20K miles I think and cheap to boot.

 

So these tires are they the run flats? Thats a concern and confusion.

Do you replace these tires more often than any other car you've owned?

(I realize some are obviously more rough on driving than others)

But I think I'm in love with this car!

Sincerely,

New Prospect!

 

JCW's come standard with runflats. They are harsh-riding, not very grippy compound, expensive, and many tire shops treat them with kid gloves (even though I think that's way over-rated.) I replaced the OEMs because I didn't like them, the second set I liked but they proved to be a bit too soft and quick wearing for fulltime street use. I think my new ones will be a good compromise between grip and wear.